Rice, who landed in Libyan capital Tripoli on Friday, plans to hold a landmark meeting with the country’s leader, Moammar Gadhafi. The United States restored relations with Tripoli in 2005 after Gadhafi renounced terrorism, abandoned the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and agreed to compensate victims of two major Libyan terrorist acts, the 1986 La Belle disco bombing in Berlin, Germany and the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, CNN reports.

Since then the United States has praised Libya for helping fight terrorism in North Africa, as well as agreeing to help United States crack down on Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. relations with Libya have remained somewhat strained, however. But Rice seemed optimistic about her trip. She said that she recognizes Libya “is a place that is changing and I want to discuss how that change is taking place.”